AT&T, which has an exclusive agreement to sell the Apple handset in the U.S., has received over 1 million inquiries from people seeking more information on the combined cellphone, iPod and Internet device.

Since the carrier's deal with Apple will reportedly span 5 years, people planning to purchase an iPhone will need to join AT&T's wireless network. In some cases, that will mean jumping ship from their existing wireless providers.

The unusually large number of non-AT&T customers expressing interest in purchasing the Apple device "speaks volumes," Stephenson said during a speech at the NXTcomm communications conference in Chicago.

"I really believe this is going to be game changer," he added. "Not only for us but the industry at large."

While it's too early to tell how many of those consumers expressing interest in iPhone will actually go out and purchase one, a recent analysis by investment bankers at Bear Stearns estimates the Apple device will add nearly 1 million new subscribers to AT&T's wireless network during the second half of 2007.

An additional 3.5 million are likely to follow next year, the firm said.

What's most fascinating to me is the phrase "... on Apple's overly hyped iPhone handset ...". I've tried to to a quick review of what Apple has put out, and overall, it very little. They do use the words "revolutionary mobile phone" occasionally but overall their direct efforts on this seems to have been minimal. The "... on Apple's overly hyped iPhone handset ..." seems to be due entirely to the people saying " ...on Apple's overly hyped iPhone handset ..." (not just referring to Appleinsider, but the press)

About 40 percent of people seeking information on Apple's overly hyped iPhone handset are not presently AT&T wireless customers,

That doesn't surprise me since many Apple users are generally willing to spend a bit more to get better quality. Likewise potential iPhone buyers are likely to be using a premium phone service - not AT&T. Cingular/AT&T is not my phone service provider but they will now get some of my business.

I thought one in four US mobile phone subscribers are with AT&T. I don't think a third is a very interesting number. If three fourths of the inquiries were with competitors, then that might be interesting.

I live in Iowa City,IA and at one of our local ATT stores the manager said apple may be making the shipment ON the 29th, thus not being able to sell till the next morning (saturday). This seems a little odd, but it's what he is telling visitors at this point. I grabbed his card so I can call in the days leading up to the 29th.

What is the situation with phones with SIM cards? Is it simply a matter of switching the SIM card to switch to a different provider? Verizon doesn't have 'em so I don't have a clue.

Is there any precedence for phones being locked so that they will only accept SIM cards from a certain provider?

SIM cards are awesome. For example I have 5 phones. I kept every phone I had when I started with my provider. Whenever I want to use one of the other phones I just pop the sim card in the other phone and use it. Why would anyone want to do this? Well let's say you are going camping, you want to take a phone but not your nicest one. So you grab one of your not so nice phones and take that instead. You don't have to call anyone when you switch phones, you just do it.

So unlocked phones allow you to use a phone from Cingular with an T-Mobile SIM Card. So if someone hacks the iPhone and unlocks it then you could use it with T-Mobile. You might not be able to use Visual Voicemail. But I am sure everything else could be used. I think the iPhone will be Unlocked, it's only a matter of time. The Nintendo DS was thought do be unhackable and it has been hacked. So has the Sony PSP.

Also, if your phone is triband, you can go to Europe and buy a prepaid sim card. Use your phone for calls around Europe for a lot less than using say Cingular.

It's a shame that Apple's Iphone will frustrate anyone who tries to use it in NYC. I've worked in NY all my life and you can ask anyone who has ATT's service just how bad it is. People are going to have to join ATT so they can buy this phone and soon realize that the phone part of it is useless.
When I was an ATT customer I asked them why service was almost non existent in every building I walked into, their answer was "well if your inside you should use a landline phone".
Apple has traded quality of service for quantity. They went with ATT because they have the biggest customer base and they were willing to bend over and let Apple have their way with them as far as dictating the rules of the game. Everyone I talk to here says the same thing I do, the Iphone looks like one of the best products to come out of Apple but I'll never buy one. Buying a phone that you can't use as a phone makes no sense.
Apple should have just sold them at Apple stores and let the people who buy them decide what service they want to use.
If your thinking of buying an Iphone and live in NYC do some research and you'll see I'm right.